Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-06-02
"REMINISCENCES.
Ruggles, the Old Statesman
Of ST Clairsville-Si Singular and In
teresting History Cleaned in Bel
mont COunuy-ThOmas III. Genin.

mont Thomas III. Genin.
Special Core. .pondenceCincinnati Times Star
ST. CLAIRsvLLE, o., May pa cy-
clone, which swept over this old village
few weeks ago. partially destroyed the
old home of an American statesman
long since forgotten, Benjamin Ruggles
who was Senator from Ohio Is years
from 1915 until 1888. Yet a few year:
ago in party of Ohio politicians, Gen
Durbin Ward asked if any one could tel
him OF Senator Ruggles. One distin-
guished lawyer said that he was SeDa'
tor Connecticut, another that be was
from Maine. and SO Cn, no answer being
correct. A few days ago the same dis
cussion came up, and 1 have thought il
worth while to write a few lines about
one of three Senators from Ohio who
have served over two terms. For there
have been but three-Ruggles, Wade
and Sherman-who have served over the
two term limit. have found 1t diff
cult to learn much of Benjamin Rug
giles, whose ability, or popularity. or per-
haps both. gave him SO long on expert.
snce in the American Senate. His ca
reer is the more remarkable as he had
never been in Congress. nor even in the
Ohio Legislature. Born in Windham.
Conn, il 1853, he had fair education,
taught school. studied law, and then
came West. beginning his professional
career at Marietta
He did not remain here long. but wei {
north to St.Clairsville, which was named
in honor of Gov. st. Clair. This old
warrior was partial to French names,
aud in the farmation of new counties
gave them a name of bis own selection,
Belmont being from the French and
meaning beautiful mountain. To this
village came Ruggles shortly after St,
Clair had created the ninth county of
the Territory. Here Ruggles lived and
died. He was quiet man without pre-
tense and almost without interest in
politics. He was in 1910 Pre- sident
Judge of the Third Judicial Circuit. aad
this il his only claim for fame as an Of
ficeholder before his election to the q.
S. Senate.
He was elected as a Democrat, but in
in 1S40 he was an electOr on the Harri
son ticket. He seems to have cut no
great hgure 10 Congress, and after his
retirement from public life went into re-
tirement in fact. He lived on small
farm near the village and cane every
day for the mail and to do some shop
ping. Old residents here who remember
bim call him Judge-a title which once
given man clings to him forever.
Ruggles was an active Mason and was
buried with Masonic honors in the old
graveyard of st. Clairsville, where to-
day the visitor may see upon a plain old
gravestone a simple INSCRIPTION with no
reference to the illustrious service of
Benjamin Ruggles. He died as he had
lived and was buried by the Masonic
brethren with whom .he had been so
long associated. Gen. B. r. CoweD. of
Cincinnati, was at that time an editor
here and Master of the Lodge.
The funeral was one of the largest
known, and was under the charge of
Gen. Cowen, then d young man, but very
active in Masonic matters. Ruggles has
been described to me as tall, but stoop>
sbouldered, and while not strikingly
i.,1 mi
He never displayed any interest in local
politics, refusing all eDtreaties to take
the honor of local offices. He survived
bis second wife, who had been married
before also, and by her he had one son.
who is still living. His name is Sol
omOn Kellogg Rnggles, and he was a
soldier in the Mexican war. A step
daughter of the Senator married DIR. G.
c. Carroll, once famous physician here.
He died and his widow married Rev {.
John Maffott. She is still living. A
sister of Benjamin Ruggles was the
grandmother of Francis Sessions, o
banker and author of Columbus.
QUEER GENIUS,
who lived here all his life, was Thomas
II. Genin, an erratic Frenchman, OF
whom great variety of stories are told
Genin in early life became lawyer. He
was, as he often said of himself, AN
accurate iawyer'-but he never practiced
his profession, preferring to roll up
mountain of wealth and keep it with
miserly care. For G6nin lived and died
a miser. His wealth was estimated at
nearly "a million. He wrote constantly
for the press, and his contributions were
terroriZing TO the composltors. He was
worse than Horace Greeley, BlOss or
Charley Flood, three eminent edir
noted for horrible chirUgraphy. Genin
wrote on the backs of envelopes on both
sides of the paper and along the edges.
One day after a terrific struggle with
some of the old mans copy, Gen. Cowen.
then printers apprentice, sent Genin a
quire of paper-a hint that he should
use it liberally for MSS. and not in1ict
such stuff upon the typos. The old man
came down in rage declaring 1t to be
malicious insult, aud that his careful
and terrible scribbling on scraps of pa
per was only decent and sensible fru-
gality.'
Genin had nephew in New York. a
successful merchant, who Was person
al friend of P. T. Barnum, when the
Snowman was in great favor. Genin
brought Barnum out to see the erratic
old uncle. The old man wanted to show
some extra courtesy to SO great a char
acter as Barnum, and going to old man
Harris, the village tinsmitb, begged the
loan OF tin wash basin. to be used sole
ly by Barnum, during his visit. Genin
promised that the basin would be dried
after each washing and returned just as
good as new. This is only a sample of the
old mans eccentric stinginess.
He wrote an epic poem longer than
the Iliad' or Paradise Lost calling it
The Napolead,' 1t being in honor of Ma
poleoD l. 1t is seldom seen and never
read. save as literary curiosity. Yet it
has some merit. In appearance Genin
was striking. His French features ret
minded of VOltaires portraits, and his
forehead was expansive and retreatiDg.
His big eyebrows. white hair and sharp,
long nose, made up face which was
not soon forgotten. His children are
all dead. One son was an artist, anoth>